Customer Ratings & Reviews

A family member ordered the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 and it arrived on time, as promised. After unboxing it, which was very easy, the Chromebook downloaded the latest and greatest software and apps. This took a couple of minutes, no big deal. I owned a Chromebook for four years withtout any defects. When it crashed, I purchased another computer in the Chromebook family to give me peace of mind. This computer is fast. It can handle mutilpile tabs without errors. I recommend this computer to anyone who uses a laptop for more than one hour a day, because the keys are ergonimical and typing is a breeze, and comfortable.

First thing to note is this is a Chromebook Plus, not just a Chromebook. That means it has upgraded specs compared to non-Plus Chromebooks like - IPS panel - 2K screen - Ethernet port Sound is average – not much bass or deeper tones, so still get a somewhat tin can sound. Keyboard feels plastic-y. The button surfaces are smooth for fast finger movement, a nod to its gaming features. Also especially for gaming, it has an Ethernet port so you can play with minimal network delay. The screen is 16” and its matte finish and handles glare fairly. It’s not a touchscreen, though. It also wobbles if touched or the desk is shaken. With regular typing, it’s not an issue. The native 2560x1600 resolution paired with the 16” size gives you ample space options to set your actual viewing resolution to something comfortable. The sharpness and dynamic range are fine for casual use, but I would not have this be my main display for any serious photo or video editing. Even streaming some movies will feel a bit lackluster compared to better displays. The camera and microphone are average. I recommend using an external mic (either dedicated or via a headset) if you plan to do a lot of talking through it. The apps on this laptop respond quicker than other Chromebooks I’ve used. Almost every app or browser interaction feels snappy, despite the entry level processor (Intel Core 5 Series 1) and Intel Graphics chip. A soft sleeve is included, and you’ll want to use as the outside surface attracts smudges. All in all this is a nice entry level Chromebook Plus and useful for everyday school or work. If you can get it on sale, it’s an even better value.

To start off, i have a lot to say about this Chromebook. Its a amazing, versatile, and fast enough laptop that you can take pretty much anywhere. Its a great work/ game-streaming laptop. One thing that i did to "upgrade" this Chromebook was to install windows and change the ssd in it, (in order to upgrade the ssd, you have to disable write protection in powershell). Downside is that the RAM cannot be upgraded. *WARNING* DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INSTALL WINDOWS OR UPGRADE THE SSD IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Do you research before you do anything to it.

This is by far the best Chromebook that I've ever used, but I still end up finding it wanting. Perhaps I'm coming from a privileged position, but it seems that the point of these devices is to have a cheap machine for students (and I understand that IT professionals like them as well). Ultimately, this is a capable machine for online tasks, whatever games you'd like to run from the Play Store, and is even capable of doing basic video editing if you're interested in creating YouTube videos. However, what holds the device back is the Chrome OS. Yes, it is capable of doing most of what you would like to do, and there are probably free apps to do a great deal. I have downloaded a video editing app to create a YouTube video, so it's possible, but it took downloading three different apps before finding one that will actually work full-screen on a monitor. Similarly with games - yes this is a capable laptop, but when downloading games you need to know what you're looking for. Anything that's completely dependent on touch or gyroscopic control is not going to work, or if it does the aspect ratio may be very strange given the form factor being very different from a mobile device. That being said, if you find something that works it's a very capable machine. I can't shake the feeling that Chromebooks are basically "my kids first computer" and if you want to specialize into anything then you'll have to go to something else (be it Mac or Windows). It's great that you can download free apps to do most any productivity, but eventually, you're going to actually need Office products for work or school, or specialized software for a class, or Adobe for video editing, or any other specialized software which will require purchasing the software and a different machine. I must say, the graphics processing is great as it has no problem running videos on a 4K monitor while connected to my docking station where it has the built-in screen, a 4K monitor, and two 1080p monitors. However, this is another instance of ChromeOS being limited, as you cannot adjust the resolution on a connected monitor. If it's a 4K monitor, you need to be ready to deal with VERY small text. All-in-all, this seems like a good first computer for someone, but a machine that you'll ultimately need to upgrade from once you know what you want to be doing. Good sound, good battery, great display, great connectivity options (2 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports!), but a limited OS.

I normally travel with a 15 inch laptop but it was aging and I thought a bigger screen would be nice so long is it isn't too heavy. This chromebook coming in at under 4 pounds is several ounces lighter than my old 15 inch. Though not for everyone, it does come with a nice sleeve that is actually big enough to carry some additional essentials and provide protection if you don't want to lug around a larger case, or backpack. The screen is really the star of the show. Bright rich colors and lays flat which can be handy in certain configurations. This is not a touch screen although, the touch pad is large and responsive so not an issue. As for the keyboard, it is lit and you can change the color scheme. Though, the feel of the keys could be a little better, their size makes for comfortable typing or gaming control. Now, this is a chrome book so you might want to do a little research on gestures and shortcuts to avoid frustration. If this is new to you I can assure you transitioning is easy though for me scrolling is backwards from my windows device and that is taking longer to make automatic. Sound is good, lets say, more than adequate but not earth shattering. I use ear buds most of the time so that isn't much of an issue. The case is sturdy and has a very quality feel. When holding it by one corner, I do not see any flex. As for connectivity, having two USB C ports that can both charge is really convenient. Additionally with WiFi and Bluetooth you can connect to just about anything you might need. This is a solid device that would make a great first computer or a secondary unit for travel.

It’s not great for cloud gaming, or cloud gaming just isn’t ready yet. For daily use and casual enjoyment. It’s ALMOST great. Everything is high quality, especially the screen…but the trackpad and click is horrible, almost impossible to use. So be ready to use a mouse.

It was good while it lasted. Almost a year later, usb and usbc ports died. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.